Beschreibung
This Ferrari 512 BBi entered production just before Christmas 1981 on Monday 21st December and was completed just over a month later on Friday 29th January 1982 the car was finished in Rosso Corsa with Sabbia (sand) coloured hide with “Zegna” cloth inserts and Castoro (Beaver) coloured carpets. It was transported to the UK and delivered to Maranello Concessionaires Ltd at Thorpe in Surrey to whom it was first registered SPD 657X on the 24th February 1982. This was the first Ferrari 512 BBi registered in the UK and one of only 43 UK Right Hand Drive BBi produced and featured in May 1982 editions of Motor magazine, Car magazine and Motorsport magazines and is photographed on the forecourt of Maranello Sales at Tower Garage. The car remained with Maranello Concessionaires, Ltd for eighteen months before being sold.
The full ownership of the car is known with copies from the DVLA of all V5 of the previous owners.
With only 15, 626 miles on the BBi it had a new owner on the 20th December 1998. At some time after this date the car was “laid up” and was recommissioned between December 2012 and March 2013 at the cost of £44, 800 by a Ferrari Specialist with 16, 717 miles. The clutch was replaced at 16, 951miles on 16th December 2015.
Over the last 6 years the BBi have only be driven sparingly on dry days and been stored in a dehumidified garage and has current just around 17, 101 miles. It comes with detailed service history and Ferrari, Modena factory Classiche “red book” Certification.
The Ferrari 512 BBi History:
Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection on the 512 BBi replaced the outgoing model’s four, triple-choke Weber 40 IF 3C carburettors. Otherwise mechanically identical, the flat-12 featured lower maximum revs (6, 600 rpm compared to the 512 BB’s 6, 800 rpm) and the engine developed 20 bhp less, although top speed remained within a whisker of the 512 BB’s 283 km/ h. Externally the new model was recognisable by the re-designed rear bumper and wheels, the side NACA duct finished in black and the body-colour wing mirror. Inside, the classic Connolly leather seats featured a central wool textile insert and the car was fitted with air conditioning and central locking as standard.
The Body
The 512 BBi was introduced at the 1981 Frankfurt Salon, to replace the 512 BB model, the “i” suffix denoting a change from carburettors to fuel injection. Apart from the adoption of fuel injection, in line with the other models in the Ferrari range at the time, there were minor cosmetic and mechanical changes. At the front the plain aluminium egg-crate radiator grille stopped short of the driving lights, which were now exposed in the grille extremities, with small rectangular parking lights mounted in the bumper section above them. At the rear the engine louvre arrangement was modified and a new shroud was provided to the exhaust system, which incorporated hazard warning lights. A new design of door mirror was fitted, changes were made to the interior, including a black spoked steering wheel, and the availability of “Zegna” wool cloth seat centres as an option. The road wheels became the same width front and rear, fitted with Michelin TRX tyres, which had the effect of increasing the front and rear track to 1508mm and 1572mm respectively. The body was mounted on a 2500mm wheelbase chassis, which had factory reference number F 102 CB 100. All were numbered in the odd chassis number road car sequence, and the construction followed the same principles as its predecessor of a tubular steel chassis frame with a monocoque central cell. Again as with its predecessor it was available in right or left hand drive form, and again no USA market versions were built.
The Engine
The standard road wheels were alloy five spoke “star” pattern, with a knock off spinner on a Rudge hub, although legislative requirements in some markets dictated the fitment of a large octagonal hub nut. The wheels covered large ventilated disc brakes with twin hydraulic circuits, and servo assistance. Independent suspension was provided all round, via wishbones, coil springs, and hydraulic shock absorbers, with twin rear units, together with front and rear anti roll bars. The aluminium flat twelve cylinder engine was of the same configuration as its predecessor with a cubic capacity of 4943cc, and 82mm x 78mm bore and stroke, with factory type reference F 110 A 000. It featured belt driven twin overhead camshafts per bank, with dry sump lubrication and a hydraulically operated clutch. The 512 BBi was fitted with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, and had the same claimed power output as the carburettor model. The production period ran from 1981 to 1984, when it was replaced by the world market Testarossa model. During that period a total of 1007 BBi were produced and only 43 of these were RHD examples.
